Thank You

Thanks for all the lovely comments.
The octopus has maintained its position at the most honorable place on the tree. The stars, angels and suede cardinals that I have since found don't even hold a candle to that sweet and funny topper from that sweet and funny boy.

And little Scarlet's party was a rollicking success. We baked gingerbread cookies the day before and she and her friends decorated them at the party. I have a tendency sometimes to overestimate the ability of small children, but this worked really well. I gave them bags of thick royal icing to outline the designs and a squeeze bottle of thinner icing for "flooding". A couple of muffin tins full of sprinkles, colored sanding sugars, nonpareils and dragees and we were in business.

The snowflake activity was an overshoot. Cutting printer paper that has been folded many times with safety scissors is not an easy task for six-year-olds. Luckily my friend's daughter taught everyone (including me) how to do it with coffee filters. Sometimes I think that child should have been mine.